NCAAW: Watch the freshmen phenoms Sarah Strong, Joyce Edwards – Swish call

They were only born four days from each other 19 years ago. One from North Carolina, the other from South Carolina. Man will become the player of the year of Naismith High School and # 1 in her class. The other will be named the National Player of the Year Gatorade and the National Player of the Year of the Morgan Woottten. They will share the Co-MVP honors at the McDonald 2024 McDonald 2024 McDonald 2024.

They would both engage in two of the definition of a women’s college basketball, with Sarah Strong joining Uconn Huskies, and Joyce Edwards becoming Gamecock South Carolina. On Sunday, February 16, the two meet for the first time as colleagues, occupying the central scene in the last chapter of Uconn-South Carolina.

Of course, numerous storylines surround the Sunday match between Husky No. 7 and No. 4 Gamecocks. There are two emblematic coaches born of Fili. This is the 2010 program compared to the 2020 program. This is a team led by the estimated choice # 1 in the WNBA project in 2025 against the team set by its depth. This is a match between the teams ranked # 1 and # 2 in the NCAA net ranking.

These angles and others will be highlighted during the ESPN college college, which starts at 11 am from the Colonial Life Arena in Colombia, before the Game tips at 13:00 ET on ABC.

But the most intriguing story so far, and later, the battle between strong and Edwards is later, as the two will fire the first Salv in the clash of the growing superstars of sports.

Sarah is the strongest Husky

Photo by Michael Hicky/Getty Images

It took a little time for Sarah to emerge as an integral part for Uconn. Three matches in her college career, she published her first double double. Four matches in, she scored 20 points for the first time. In her 11th game, she posted 29 career points. In general, it has nine games of 20 or more points, shooting 57.3 percent of the pitch, as it is an average of 16.1 points in 26 games. It is also an average of 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Not only everyone, but also locked the national freshman of the year, but also belongs to the conversation of the National Player of the Year. She plays with premature self-control, almost immediately gains the confidence of the increasingly cordial chief coach Jeno Auriema, who already predicts influence on Brana Stewart for her star freshman ahead.

Strongly comes out of one of her most productive games for the season, scoring only two points, as she only made four shots at Uconn’s victory to blow over St. John on Wednesday. (With a masterpiece of 34 points from Senior Guard Azie Food, the Huskies did not need strong to make a very heavy lifting).

On Sunday, however, Uconn cannot expect to escape from South Carolina with a big game without a big game from Strong. The guard team, Husky will have little chance of competing with Gamecocks, unless the strong has its own-and then some. Its ability to work outside and inside the insult, conveniently combined with the Paige Bookers to facilitate or finish, will be needed to punch the defense of South Carolina. South Carolina’s chief coach Dawn Steeli quotes the Strong intelligence coefficient, among other traits, when he talks about the challenges that the Huskies will present.

On the other hand, Strong will be most responsible for preventing Gamecocks from getting easy results inside, especially from points of the second chance. This is a high task, but the one she has proven is more than capable of meeting.

South Carolina will rejoice again

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On the other hand, trying to slow down strongly, Joyce Edwards will be.

After joining a tidy South Carolina team, where everyone but one player returned from the national champions of last season, Edwards has only one start in 25 games, instead became part of the bench to raise the Gamecocks rocket. After a little less than 21 minutes per game, she is an average of 12.9 points, firing 57.4 percent of the floor. It also collects 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 thefts per game.

Edwards plays with a pulsating, powerful grace. It loads up and down the floor, but still performs complex spins with an accuracy that should not be possible. It is this dichotomy of power and finesse that makes her play captivating. And when everything comes together, her star power shines. This unfolded against Florida on Thursday, when Edwards had his best game for the season in South Carolina’s dominant victory. In just 19 minutes, she dropped 28 points, passing 10 for 17 of the pitch and 8-for-8 of the line, while stabbing five boards.

Edwards is a player with five instruments whose weapons are still sharpened under the careful operation of Staley. The head coach even praised her work ethics as “too much”, with Staley encouraging the freshman to accelerate. And while it is probably unreasonable to doubt Staley’s assessment, the growth of the Edwards season proves that her aspiration pays dividends.

On Sunday, a completely ruthless Edwards can help Gamecocks go over visiting Husky, turning protective stops into offensive results with an unsurpassed, predominant allying. This is a feedback contour that will thwart Uconn and have FAMS that fill the colonial arena of life that swings to the fifth consecutive victory over the visitors from Storrs.

Game information

No. 7 Uconn Huskies (23-3) vs. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks (23-2)

When: Sunday, February 16 at 1pm ET

Where: Colonial Life Arena in Colombia, SK

How to look: ABC/Disney+/ESPN+